The present invention relates generally to a burner assembly and, more particularly, to a burner assembly for a stove which utilizes a liquid fuel such as alcohol.
The present invention constitutes an improvement upon the burner assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Re28,730 to Finnstrand. The Finnstrand patent discloses a stove body or pan having a burner mounted therein together with a control rod and handle attached to a body member of the burner and adapted to rotate the body to control the flow of fuel. Fuel is supplied to a stationary central stem member inside the body member. The body member is rotatable and longitudinally movable with respect to the burner stem to open a valve to emit fuel to a nozzle and also to control the amount of fuel exiting from the nozzle by controlling the area thereof.
The fuel valve in the assembly comprises mating tapered surfaces on the body member and central stem member which must be accurately matched in order for the fuel passage that opens at the stem member tapered surface to be closed. If the tapered surfaces do not accurately mate, due to failure in maintaining manufacturing tolerances or distortion of the parts during use of the burner assembly, leakage of fuel may occur either at the top of the nozzle of the assembly or at the base of the central stem member.
It is the purpose of the present invention to overcome the fuel leakage problem which exists in the prior burner assembly.